Door supporting and operating device.



No. 832,458. i PATENTED OO'I'. 2, 1906.

' M. GOSSEY.

DOOR SUPPORTING AND OPERATING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. Z1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENPED 00P. 2, 1906.

MfoossEY. NooE SUPPORTING AND OPERATING DEVICE.

.APPLIGATION FILED NOV. Z1. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

wh/Lew@ @MZM Ms).

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

MYRON COSSEY, NEW YORK, N. Y. DOOR SUPPORTING AND OPERATING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 2, 1906I Application filed November 21,1905. Serial No. 288,392.

To all whom it may con/cern:

door-hangers, and more particularly to hangers for two or more doors where the movement 'of one door results in the automatic movement of one or more additional doors.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated the preferred form of my invention and lone modification, although other methods of utilizing the same invention under both the same and different conditions will readily, suggest themselves to those skilled in the art. I, Referring now to the drawings, in which4 similar reference characters designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a front eleva-f tion ofjaconstruction embodying ymy invention. Fig. 2 is a vertical cross-section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail of Fig. 1, partly in section, to vshow racks andv gears exposed. Fig. 4 is a vertical section of Fig. 3 through the plane 4 4, but with the front bearingsfor the gear shown in. full. Fig. 5 and Fig. 6 are detailed modifications later to be described. Fig. 7 is a front elevation of a modification of my invention. Fig. 8 is a vertical section taken through the broken line 8 8 of Fi .7; and Fig. 9'is a' modified detail, which wiIl later be described.' l

"Referring now lto the drawings, Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, A A designate WhatI may call outside" tracks'or bars, and B B what I may call intermediate tracks or bars, to have movement relative to said outside bars. The bars A A constitute one element and the bar B anotherelement, and one of these elements is designed to have movement with respect to the other. In this particularfrm the bar B is the movable element, and Ythe door or other closure will be suspended from it, as hereinafter more particularly described. C designates antiiriction devices, such asballs, arranged on both Isides of the intermediate bar andvbetween it and the outside barsLgD y designates ball-carriers and spacing devices adapted to maintain the balls in proper relative positions with'regard to each other. designates two doors each suspendedgrespectively, by hangers Ffrom one of the Yiiitermediate bars B. 1 G Gdesignate two racks connected, respectively, to the said intermediate bars B in any suitable manner, as by y connecting-strips g, a modified form of which fisv shown in Figs. 5 and A6, which is simply a combination in one piece of said member g-,"{ together with the inner connecting-strips F.v

Gearing with" one of these racks is a\ gearv wheel H, which in turn meshes with another gear-wheel H", `which in its turn meshes with the other rack. One construction for accomplishing this result is that shown in Fig. 4, where the gear I-I is narrower than the gear H. As shown, these. gears are of substantially the same diameter, and the axis of one gear occupies a lower horizontal plane than that of the other inv order to prevent the rack whichmesheswith the higher gear from en- 4 gaging the lower gear, and the higher gear is narrower than the lower one to allow the. IA designates a plate `or lower rack to pass.

frame upon which are secured the xed bars A and which has at its central upper por `tion,

a projection bent to form a boX or casing J,

adapted to provide, in conjunction with the bars B are shown as movable and the outer ,bars A as fixed. Obviously, however, thisy construction may be reversed or inverted and the central barmade fixed an/d the outer bars movabla, In this case of course the connections F and g will be changed from the middle bar to the outer bars and preferably` to the llower of the outer bars.

The operation of my preferred form. of construction is as follows: Assoon as one of .the doors E (for instance, the right-hand door) is plate I, pnoper bearings for the gears Hand 'i IOC) moved away from the center the rack connected' therewith and moving therewith rotates the gear-wheel Hin a,cl0ckwise direction. This results in the gear-.wheel H being rotated inthe opposite direction, which causes the other rackand door to move away from 'ghe door and rack first mentioned. In the speciiic form illustrated, therefore, so soon as either door is moved at a given speed by manual or other pressure the other door ,is caused tomove in the opposite direction at the same IIO speed. i Obviously by varying the size or diameter of either one of the gear-wheels H H', so as to make yone of the same ofgreater diameter Athan the other, the door which is manually moved. can be made to move at either a greater or less rate of speed than the other. i

- The saine invention may well be applied tQ doors moving in the same direction and at varying rates of speed, or, in other words, to a plurality of doors where one or more of the same. move in the same ldirection with, but faster than and past7 one or more of the other doors. I have illustrated one construction embodying such an application of my invention in Figs. 7 and 8 of the accompanying.

drawings. Referring now to those figures, 1 designates two outside tracks, 2 an intermediate track, 3 antifriction devices, 4 spacing device, and 4a stops, all of substantially the same construction as already described. 5 designates a door which is adapted to move past and faster than another door 6. -The door 5 is connected by hangers 5a orin any other suitable manner to -the intermediate bar 2. The door 6 is-somewhat similarly connected, as by hangers 6, to another inter mediate bar 7, `arranged between a second set of outside bars 8 8 and. similarly provided with antifriction devices 9 and a spacer 10. v Rigidly secured to the intermediate bar 2, as

by connecting-strips 12 12, (shown as forming part-of the hangers 5%) is a rackv13', which engages a gear-wheel 14 which is in mesh with a second gear 14a. Ihese gears are similar to the gears shown in Fig. 1. Referring again to the said hangers 6, the one shownonthe left-hand side issituated behind the movable tracks 1 land in front-.of 'the Inoviable track 10, 'being rigidly`secured to alli The right-hand hanger shown isr three. somewhat different in construction, besides being similarly secured to thethree tracks.

lIt also extends above and at its top is provided with a rectangular box 15,'op`env at top andbottom, which acts as bearings for the' said gears 14 and 141. In mesh with the gear 14 is a second rack 16, which is rigidly and immovably secured 'to aframework' Yfto which framework are also .'secured i the tracks 8.

As a result of the above construction, the

, door 6 being moved, v(say in a left-hand direction,) the tracks 1 1 and 10 being ri idly secured Athereto by the hangers 6a 6a wi l consequently move with it, as will also the gears 14 i `will in turn cause the rack 13 and the track 2 and the door 5, attached thereto by means o`f 1 and'14a, rotatably i'Xed in the bearings at the top'of' the right-handhanger 6a. The gear 14F`beingi'n mesh' with the rigid rack 16 will also have a clockwise rotation, which will drive the gear 14 counter-clockwise, which the hangers 5a, tolmove in a left-hand direcn tion also. The gears 14 and 14a being of equal-size, the travel of rack 13 relative to the gears will equal the travel of gears relative to the rack 16, and as the speed of the rack 13 relative to rack 16 is made up of both these speeds it will travel relatively to rack 16 with twice the speed of the gears. f Consequently the door 5, rigidly secured to rack 13, will travel with twice'the speed of door 6, v

rigidly secured tothe gears.l

The fixed and movable bars, though shown horizontal, can, if desired, be tilted slightlyv 19o-facilitate closing or opening the doors.

Fig. 9 shows a ready means for determining or limiting the travel of the two sections. Brieiiy, it is composed of two bars, one having a projection on each end and theother a proj ection on one end orlly adapted to engage either projection on the other bar. One of these bars is secured to the top of each section of .the door, and the projections will coact, as shown,

the dotted'view showing the position ofthe bars when ,the door is open, the view in full the position when closedf As any movement of any one section (irrespective of whether sections are-two or^more in number) must.

necessarily result in a movementI 'of each other section, and, furthermore, as eacli'section will always be moving ata .rate of'speed either greater or less than that of each other; "section, it is obvious that the coacting ofany two proj ections-arranged, respectively, von any two sections. and at any point inthe travel,l

thereof will result in bringing all sections to 4an immediate stop.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a vice, the combination ofH a plurality of sets of threebarseach, the said three bars of each set being parallel and situated one above the other, each -set beivngcomposed of two mem# bers, one ofwhichcomprises two -Q'uter bars rigidly secured together and theothera central bar, and oneof said memb'ers being movable with respect to the other; antifr'iction devices interposed between'said central and outer bars, suspendi devices for connectingfthe movable mem erof each set with a door, the other member being secured a ainst movement; andmeans including-a rac and gear connecting said doors and adaptedto impart movement in opposite direction from one door to the other.

2. vIn a door supportingand operating de- 4vice, the combination of a plurality of sets of three bars each, the said threenbars of each set being parallel and situated one above the other, each set being composedof two members, one of which comprises two outer bars rigidly secured together and the other a cen: tral bar, and one of said members being movable with respect to the other; antifriction vdevices interposed between said central and outer bars, suspending devices for connect- IOO door supporting and operating` de- .i

IIO

ing the movable membenfo each 4set with a door, thev other member bei secured a ainst movement; and means' inc uding rac s in. mesh respectively with ears having opposite. rotation, whereby the ateral movement of. each movable member is controlled by the movengint of every other movable member.

.3. Indoor supporting and'op'erating devices, the combinationof sets of three bars each, the said three bars of each set being` parallel and situated one above the other, each set being composed of two members, one, of which comprises two outer bars rigidly secured togetherand the other a central bar; antifriction devices interposed. between -said vcentral and outer bars ;.suspending de'- vices for connecting one of said members of each set' 'with a door, the other member being so securedas to cause relative motion of the rst member with respect thereto, and means comprising three members, two-of which are racks and the third of which com rises two gear-Wheels which are in"inesh wit vthe .said

one above the otherfthe central ofne movable, the outer two fixed to said plate; racks with teeth extending downward 1n mesh with and upon the to of (said gears respectively, and secured to tiie said vcentral bars suspending devicesfor connecting said central bars with doors, and antifriction devices interposed be-v tween the middle and outside bars of each set.

5. In door supporting and operating devices, the combination of means for supporting doors to permit their lateral movement,

, and means for transmittingmovement of one door to the other comprisin two gear-wheels having their axes in di erent horizontal planes, said gear-wheels being meshed with each other, and two independent racks re- L I spe'ctively engaging Vthe respective gearwheels upon thek same slide, and at least one of said racks being connected to one of the doors. p Y

6l' In door supporting and operating devices, the combination with means for supporting doors to'permit their lateral movement, of .means for transmitting movement of one door to the other com rising two gear- Wheels having their axes in ierent horlzontal p1anes,\ said gear-wheels being meshed with each other and one being wider than' the other, and two independent racks respectively engaging the respective gear-wheels upon the same sideA and at least'one of said racks being connected to one of the-doors.v

A7. In door supporting and operating devices', the combination with means for supporting doors to ermit their lateral movement, and means. or'transmitting movement of one door'to the other com lrising two ngearl-wheels having their axes in ierent horizontal.planes, sa1d ears being meshed with each other and one. eing wider than the other, and two independent racks'respectively engaging the respective gear-wheels upon the same side, one-of said racks being fixed and the dther movable and the movable rack being connected to one ofthe doors.,

8. In door supporting and operating devices, the combinationwith means for supporting .doors to permit their lateral movement, and means for transmitting movement' of one door to the other comprising two gear- Wheels journaled in a movable support the axis of one gear-wheel being inea lower horizontal plane than that of the other and said gear-wheels being meshed with each other,

and two independent racks respectively engaging the respective gear-wheels upon the same side, one of. said racks being fixed and the other movable,'the movable rack bei connected to one of the doors and the other `door connected to the movable support for the gear-wheels. e

In witness whereof I have signed my name to the foregoing specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MYRoN oossEY.

.I Witnesses: HENRYR.' BAUER,

J C. CONRADI. 

